Three
by stars fly so high
Summary: Kate Cade is Johnny's fourteen year old sister and one of Ponyboy's best friends. One fateful night, the three are sent down a path with unseen outcomes that bring them closer. R&R. Finally complete!
1. Morning

**A/N: First ever fanfiction! so, here goes nothing i guess.**

**please review if you like the story so far, it would be REALLY appreciated.**

**PS: Italics are thoughts, the past, or the future.**

**

* * *

**

_I woke up to the filtered light inside of the church and the warmth of a person lying with me. Looking around my vaguely familiar surroundings, I felt only two things :_

_Fear. Where was Johnny? Did he go elsewhere? If he did runaway (more than we already had), then why didn't he take Pony and me with him? Had he abandoned us? Did the fuzz catch him?_

_Before my insides could completely lock in ice, the other feeling took over me completely._

_Flustered. I was curled around Ponyboy, my arms around his neck and my legs tangled in his. His arm was draped over my shoulder, his pink lips just inches from mine. I was blushing madly, the heat from embarrassment clouding my head. The most awkward thing in all of this was that I _liked _the closeness the situation brought. I _wanted_ him to stay twisted with me. My heart pumped furiously as I thought of what other people might think. I also realized that a part of me didn't care._

_Trying to relax my breathing, I gently laid my head back on the cobblestone floor, and fell asleep once more._

* * *

(KPOV)

It started out like any normal day of the week. I woke up, took a shower, got dressed and ready for school, and snuck out of my house with my brother, Johnny. I stood in my bra and underwear, looking at myself angrily in my cracked bedroom mirror that Monday morning. The bruises covered my ribs and arms, and my cheek had swollen into a mottled bump on my face.

_I walked silently to the kitchen on my tiptoes, careful to avoid the creaky step on the stairs. My mom had told me earlier that whores who hang out with gang members don't deserve food and had ordered me to stay upstairs in my room. 'I'm not letting myself starve in this hellhole no matter what she says,' I murmured to myself. I managed to open the fridge without making that annoying click it usually does. Pulling out a sandwich slowly, I fell backwards, hitting the cold linoleum tiles. But my head hit something too soon. I know I'm not laying on the floor. I looked up slowly at my dad. The stench of beer wafted down off his breath, burning my nose. He looked crazy._

_"What're you sneakin' inta tha kitshen for?" he asks slowly, slurring his words._

_I answered quickly, because he's never more dangerous than when he's drunk._

_"I was hungry, so I came to get something…" I didn't know what else to say._

_There wasn't much time to get anything out. He kicked me suddenly in the ribs, laughing when I gasped in shock._

_'You thunk jus' because I let you stay in my house, that you kin jus' eat my food?' he yelled questioningly at me. He kicked me again, but it hit my arm instead. He got down on his knees and punched me in the arms and ribs some more. He took off his belt and started hitting me with that too. It burned, it felt like the fire was spreading quickly as the blood vessels broke in my skin._

_'This'll teash ya not to eat my food,' he yelled again before slugging me in the face. I cried out in pain. My hand flew up to my face, and I felt moisture threatening to leave my eyes. He left, but not until he ate the sandwich in front of me and ordered me to go upstairs._

_I ran willingly up the wooden stairs into Johnny's room and buried my face in his arms._

My face hurt like crazy. And not just the bruise, but my eyes. I had cried in Johnny's arms for a good two hours before we decided to sneak out his giant bedroom window, and even when we reached the lot, I just held onto my older brother again and sobbed. Johnny just sat with me and stroked my hair, letting me stain his only jacket with salt water. It was freezing, so we had to go back, but he had to lead me there since my eyes were dried out. It didn't make sense why I cried so much when I've been hit by my dad before. Was it because neither of my parents cared if I was killed, even if it was by their own hand? I don't love them. I don't even go out of my way to win their affection like Johnny tries to. I think he knows its a lost cause, but he tries anyway. I think he's okay with the idea that me and the gang might be the only ones who care about him.

A quiet knock on my bedroom door snapped me out of the rage.

"Kittie?" I barely heard Johnny's muffled questions. "Kittie, you ready yet?"

"Just a minute, Johnnycake," I called to him in a hushed way. I hoped I didn't sound too angry.

I quickly threw on my black shirt and jeans. They used to be Johnny's, but since we're not exactly rolling in the dough on the east side of town, they're just fine. The shirt fits a little tight and the jeans have big holes in the knees, but that doesn't bother me so much. I slipped on my black sneakers and quickly grabbed my small switchblade off my dresser. I stashed it in the side of my bra, just below my armpit. Ever since Johnny got jumped by those Socs, we both started carrying one.

I harshly pulled a brush through my long black hair. It was semi wet, but I didn't care. I opened the door soundlessly and Johnny gave me a small smile as I let him in my room so we could sneak out. Neither of us wanted to deal with our parents, so we came up with this solution a year ago. Johnny sat down on my old bed, his big black eyes watching me as I pulled the mirror and powder out of my old wooden dresser. I tried my best to cover up the huge bruise on my face with makeup.

_The guys'll know anyways, _I thought_. They always do. _I sighed internally_. _

When the bruies was hidden as much as I could hide it, I threw them back in my dresser. Johnny ran a comb through his hair, touched the scar on his tan face, and kissed me swiftly on the forehead. We then climbed out of my bedroom window into the cold morning, headed for Pony's house. The cold morning air stung my skin as I walked down the street with Johnny. The sun hadn't rose yet, but I could see light lining the horizon, painting the trees and streets with pinks and yellows. I didn't have a jacket, so I rubbed my arms for warmth. I stared jealously at my brother's denim jacket.

"Hey, Kittie?" Johnny asked suddenly. "Ya know you talk in your sleep, right?"

The blood drained from my face. I did? If I had said anything about _that dream _last night...it would be awkward if Johnny heard.

"Um...no, I didn't," I said softly.

He looked at me for the first time, and knew what I was dreaming must've been bad. It really wasn't, not at all, but it was about a friend of ours. Even if I did like the dream, it was really uncomfortable when I was around him and Johnny at the same time.

"You didn't say anything bad. You just kept sayin, 'I can't live without you, but this would be weird for Johnny'...I understand if you don't wanna tell me, but what were ya dreaming about?" Johnny stared at me, his eyes searching for an answer.

We walked in silence for a block before I started talking. I stared at the shadows on the houses and pavement before I looked into Johnny's eyes seriously.

"You can't tell anyone, and I mean it. It'd be really awful if _any_ of the guys knew..." I glanced away and took a deep breath before I lost my nerve. _It's Johnny, your brother_, I thought. _You can tell him anything._

"I have the same dream almost every night, but where I am is never the same..." I began. Johnny nodded with a strange look on his face.

"We-"

I was cut off when a bandana wrapped around my eyes and a hand cupped around my mouth. I tried to remove the arms, but they locked tighter around me, one at my waist, the other on my face. They were pushing on my unhealed bruises, making me squirm and scream, but the screams stayed trapped in my throat, forming odd screeches. I could hear Johnny mumbling yells and struggling somewhere nearby. Knowing hope was lost there, I started thrashing blindly, kicking out my legs and arms.

_Fuck! I'm gonna die! _I screamed in my head. The red of the bandana grew brighter as I struggled, so I knew the sun was rising. I hit my attacker in the stomach and they let me go. Running with the blindfold intact, I tripped on broken, raised cement sections. I kept getting up after I fell, but I tripped once more and hit my temple.

Red faded in my mind as I passed out.

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhanger here. :)**

**This was edited from earlier chapters. I decided since the "beginning filler chapters" were a little long, that i'm going to condense them.**

**soo yeah.**


	2. Ponyboy

**A/N: Yaay! i'm revising chapters so i can save a little space.**

**here's chapter two of _Three_ (revised!). :)**

* * *

(Ponyboy's Point of View)

I woke up earlier than usual that day. Something, call it a sense, told me I should go outside and watch the sunrise. I usually wouldn't, but Sodapop wasn't in our bed that morning and Darry wasn't awake. Unable to resist, I ripped off my clothes quickly and yanked on some clean ones. I grabbed my black sneakers and tied them before I washed my face and greased my brown hair. Greenish-gray eyes stared back at me excitedly in the mirror. It was rare for me to actually see the sunrise and the morning had a palpable edge to it. I ran hurriedly out to my porch, watching as the sun dyed the dark blues and purples of the night into the pinks and golds of the morning like peroxide. The sun surely but slowly rose over the horizon, setting all the colors of my neighborhood on fire. It was beautiful.

I slowly walked off the porch, staring down the street. Johnny and Kittie would be here soon. The sunrise almost distracted me from something that had been on my mind for a while. I don't even know if they could, or if my brothers and I could afford it, but I wanted to ask Kittie and Johnny to live with me. I know their parents don't give a damn about them, but I also know Johnny wishes they did. Kittie would say yes, but she wouldn't leave Johnny behind to get beaten. She'd rather be hit and scared with Johnnycake than be safe and alone. I thought of her then, her tanned-ivory face intruding my mind. Her large black eyes filled with tears, yet her full pink lips smiled at me. She sniffed and wiped her thin nose on her sleeve, the wind blowing her long jet-black hair and bangs into her face. I almost cried at the memory.

It was from the night of my parents' funeral.

_Kittie stayed with me to watch the sunset in my room. I didn't feel like facing the gang's pity, so I'd ran to my room, but she was sitting on my bed, waiting for me. It was different with her. My mom and dad were like her parents. They'd bought her presents on her and Johnny's birthdays and bought them clothing. Kittie loved them same way I did. She rose, opened the window wordlessly and sat back down, motioning for me to sit beside her. I robotically sat down and stared out the window. The numbness had taken over me, whether I liked it or not. I looked back at Kittie. She had been staring at me for a while, oranges and pinks coloring her skin and glowing in her eyes. Wind blew through the room, blowing her hair into her oval face. She took off Johnny's jacket, which he'd given to her during the service, revealing her tight black dress again. It scooped down in a deep V-neck, showing her collarbones and cutting off right under her knees, showing off her cream colored calves. The dress paraded her waist and the sleeves draped over her arms, covering the bruises her dad had given her. Kittie smiled at me and wiped her nose on the sleeve. __The sunset's light was getting darker in the room. She unexpectedly threw her arms around my neck and started sobbing into my suit. I wrapped my arms around her waist reflexively and started crying. It usually would have been embarrassing crying in front of a girl, but Kittie wasn't just any girl. I'd known her ever since I was born. Kittie was one of my best friends._

_She rested the side of her head against my chest and brought down her hands to stay there as well._

_"What're you doing?" I asked. My heart raced under her unforeseen touch. __She looked up at me seriously, tear streaks drying on her face._

_"You're half of your mom and dad. They're...gone. All their belongings are just that. Belongings. They weren't an actual part of them. You and your brothers are. I don't want this to sound like I'm using you or anything, but I'm listening to your heartbeat because I feel like they're still here, just inside of you." __She was leaning over to listen to my heart again, but I pressed my ear to her chest and listened to hers instead. Kittie's heart accelerated, thumping hard inside her ribcage._

_"What-What're you doing, Pony?"_

_"You and my mom don't look anything alike, but you act and talk the same way. I feel like she's still here - just in you." __I slowly moved away from her chest. She smiled again at me. I looked back toward the darkening sky when, out of the blue, she pressed her soft lips to my cheek._

_"Everything's gonna be okay, Ponyboy. I promise." __She took my hand in hers and stroked it soothingly as we both watched the sunset in silence._

That was a few months ago. Kittie and me were closer in that moment than we'd ever been. I guess her heart accelerated because of how _close_ we got. When she left that night, I promised myself that I would never let anything hurt her again. Trying to think in the present, I took a deep breath and looked back down the sidewalk. I heard an awful screeching sound coming from there. It sounded like a person, strange as the sound was. I ran that way, not caring if my brothers had no idea where I was. When I reached the end of the block, the screeches stopped, but I heard people running my way.

"Oh shit!" I thought it sounded like Two-Bit.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" another person screamed. It was definitely Johnny's voice.

"We were just messing around! We didn't think this would happen!"

Accelerating, I followed their voices until I was standing beside them. They were in someone's yard, leaning down over a tree. Johnny was kneeling on the grass, gaping down but hectically talking to Two-Bit. Steve was standing over the both of them, blocking my view of whatever they were looking at. All three of them looked up at me when I came.

"Ponyboy, where'd you come from?" Two-Bit asked.

"I was on my porch when I heard screaming." I scanned the area around us. Kittie wasn't anywhere. It felt like someone infused my blood with ice water when I realized that.

"Where's Kittie?" I half-yelled frantically. Johnny just glanced down at the ground again. He looked like he was gonna cry. I walked forward, pushed Steve aside, and peered down for the first time.

Kittie was sprawled about on the floor, her long legs spread in opposite directions. She laid on her left side, arms stretched out like she tried to catch her own fall. Dirt covered Kittie's cream colored arms, and the hint of a bruise peeked out from her black t-shirt sleeve. Her head rested on one of the tree's roots, long black hair splayed in every path, covering her face. I nearly choked. I'd never seen her like that, so vulnerable, not even after her dad's beatings.

_You promised you wouldn't let anything hurt her! You lied! _

I fell beside her on my knees and moved the hair out of her face. A bandana covered her eyes and there was a giant black and blue bruise on her right cheek, but that couldn't have been from just now.

"Dad beat her...she cried in the lot all night until we went back," Johnny stated. He looked half - crazy.

"What happened just now?" I asked rudely. I didn't care if I was being an asshole, I just wanted Kittie to be okay.

"Well Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumbass-" Johnny pointed to Steve, then Two-Bit "-decided they were gonna play a trick on us, and pretended to kidnap us, so we started freaking out. I guess Kittie started kicking and punching, but after she hit Two-Bit in the gut, he let her go and she ran away. She couldn't get the blindfold off and tripped and hit her head on the tree."

"Girl's got an arm." Two-Bit said. He rubbed his stomach and groaned, so Johnny yelled at him.

"You're really lucky, ya know that? Kit's got a blade on her! If you hadn't blindfolded her and held her waist, she could've knifed you easy!" It was easy to hear the acid in his voice. I could tell Johnny wanted to kick Two-Bit's ass, but I didn't wanna see it if he was. I slid my hands under Kittie's knees and shoulders and picked her up. She hung like a wet napkin in my arms, gravity pulling her back towards the browning grass, but I could feel her heart beating. I started jogging to my house and Johnny followed me.

"Pony, I can carry her." he insisted, but I shook my head.

"I've already got her, man. We're takin' Kittie to Darry now." I felt a weird urge, like I was the only person who should carry her right now.

"Hey Ponyboy, you get knifed or something? 'Cause there's blood all over your shirt."

I stopped on the sidewalk and looked down. There was a giant red stain across the front of my white shirt. It seemed like the blood was coming from Kittie's head. There was a drying streak of red running down the side of her face.

_Oh god,_ I thought. I ran double-time, leaving Johnny standing at the corner. Sprinting the last block, I bursted through the green front door, my lungs burning.

"Darry! Darry, where are you?" I yelled breathlessly. I heard pots clanging in the kitchen, and Darry suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Just cookin' breakfast, what's the-" he paused when he saw Kate in my arms and the blood stain on my shirt "-big deal...?"

"Long story, but she needs help right now." Darry nodded understandingly and grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink. It had everything from band-aids and burn ointment to needles and thread for stitches. He walked quickly to me and Soda's room, kicking books and clothes out of the way, and sat down. I laid Kittie gently on the blue bed covers and took her blindfold off.

"Since your shirt's already dirty, take it off and press it to the side of her head," Darry instructed. His pale green-blue eyes were frozen with concentration. I obliged, ripping it off and squeezed it to her temple. Kittie winced a little. Her eyes opened a fraction.

"Kate, you're okay," he told her. "Its just Darry. I'm gonna stitch up the side of your head, okay?" He started pulling out a needle and thread.

Kittie nodded slowly in response.

"Ponyboy?" she asked, acknowledging my presence.

"I'm here, Kit-Kat." She smiled at the nickname my dad gave her. I took my free hand and held hers in it. She clutched at it and relaxed a tiny bit.

"Where's Johnnycake and Sodapop?" I didn't even know, so I couldn't answer her. Johnny bust into my room then and sighed loudly.

"You could've waited for the rest of us," he suggested. "Two-Bit, Steve, and Soda are sittin' in the living room. Soda's pissed at the both of them."

"Should be," Kittie murmured. Darry removed my hand from her temple and started stitching her up. Johnny sat on the floor and tried to distract Kittie, but I didn't listen to it. I spaced out staring at her face. She stared at Johnny for a while, then looked back at me. She blushed and looked away when she realized I'd been gawking at her all this time. Darry finished stitching her up and rubbed a wet cloth over her face to clean it. Kittie cringed when he accidentally pressed on her bruise.

"Kate, your shirt's all bloody." Darry stated. "Take it off and Pony'll grab you another." Johnny opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Darry threw a commanding look at him.

Hesitantly, she took off her shirt, and what I saw made me sick. Her ribs and arms were all bruised and purple. It looked like there were belt marks extending everywhere, reddening the flesh. Her tanned ivory skin was tainted, splotched at every inch. Darry and I gasped.

"I didn't want you to see me like this!" Kittie yelled. She ran to the bathroom in her bra and jeans, slamming the old wooden door. I heard running water, and when she came out about ten minutes later, her head was wrapped in a towel.

"Sorry I ran out." Kittie turned to me. "Can I borrow a shirt and some sweatpants?"

"Sure, Kit-Kat. Anything you want." She smiled at me, and the guys left me and her alone in the room. I heard someone shut the door and a wierd sliding sound as I was grabbing fresh clothes from the drawer. I turned to face Kittie, and my mouth fell open. She was standing there in her bra and panties drying her long hair. Her shoes and clothes were thrown by the door. I cleared my throat, and she looked up.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I'm just used to stripping down in front of Johnny," she told me, blushing again. I felt my face get hot.

"Here's your clothes." I quickly looked away.

She put them on fast for being injured and all, 'cause when I looked back, she was lying on the bed, eyes closed. I walked silently to the door, and ran out fast, not wanting to disturb her.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed some eggs out of the fridge. There was already a pan out from when Darry tried making breakfast. The stove was on, so I cracked the eggs on the counter and started frying 'em. Voices floated from the living room into our tiny kitchen.

"Was it bad, Johnnycake?" Darry inquired. His usually hard, authority-filled voice sounded softer, like his frozen outer layer was melted.

"She's gotten worse beatings from my dad and didn't even bat an eye, but it was different this time. I think that was the breaking point for her."

"So what happened?" Sodapop queried. "I mean, how'd she get all those bruises?"

Johnny's voice dropped a pitch. "Mom called her a whore yesterday. Ordered her to stay in her room and not come out. She forbid her to eat, but Kittie's determined. I guess she snuck into the kitchen, but before she could get away, our dad caught her. He was so drunk...he just started hitting her, punching her, telling her he was teaching her a lesson. He decided since she's beautiful, that he was gonna ruin that too. My dad punched Kittie in the face, 'cause he thought that's where it would hurt most. And it did, because everyone would know. The pity kills her. She'd rather have someone's hate than their pity."

It was surprisingly hard to listen to Johnny speak about Kittie's bruises. I couldn't listen to it anymore.

"Food's ready!" I called from the kitchen. Everyone scrambled into the kitchen, scarfing down eggs, except for Kittie and Johnny. When the guys were done, they threw the plates in the sink.

"Hey Pony," Darry started. "Maybe you and Johnny should take a day off school to stay with Kittie."

"Sure, Darry." I hadn't noticed Johnny standing behind Sodapop.

"Now go to work. You guys are gonna be late." He and Soda threw a grin at me before leaving. Two-Bit and Steve didn't stick around, just in case Johnny and Kittie decided to kick their asses. I sat down on the couch beside Johnny after washing the dishes, but I heard noises coming from my room.

* * *

**A/N: Just so you know, I'm going to be switching the POV between Kittie, Ponyboy, and Johnny.**

**That's why its called _three_...duh. xD**

**so yeah...still condensing, but its going great...other than no reviews. :(**


	3. Nightmares and Movies

**A/N: This is an actual new chapter after successful condensing! yaay for computer labor (not!). :P**

**well, here's Chapter 3 of _Three._ (and its not called _Three_ because there's three chapters so far..)**

**

* * *

**

(PPOV)

I decided to just ignore the sound and watch T.V., but it wouldn't let up.

"Hey, Johnny, do you hear somethin'?" It took him awhile to answer. He was so absorbed by whatever he was watching.

"Nah, man. I think you're just paranoid."

"Well, I'm gonna go check it out." I got up from the brown couch and headed down the hall.

"Would it kill ya to put a shirt on?" he asked after me. Funny. I hadn't noticed I was walking around shirtless.

The noise got louder as I got closer to my room. Slowly, I opened the door and went in. It was Kittie. She was asleep, but breaking a sweat and sleep talking. She was tossing and turning wildly, her face contorted in pain. I got up on the bed and tried to calm her down.

"Kittie, its alright, you're just having a bad dream." I gripped her shoulders and shook her. "Wake up, you're okay." She just turned more, getting more frantic.

"No, no, no, no...please don't! You're hurting him! Just stop it!" she yelled unconcsiously. I was afraid of Kittie hurting herself, so I straddled her hips in an attempt to pin her down. She just screamed more.

"Wake up, Kittie. Its just a nightmare. Relax!" I grabbed a hold of her face. "Kit-Kat just wake up!" She battled even more, kicking her legs in every direction.

"Don't hurt us! Just stop, please! Why are you doing this? Please, just leave him alone! Stop hitting...no!" Her back arched up, still fighting. I spotted a glass of water sitting on top of my nightstand. I snagged it quickly and threw it in Kate's face, then placed the glass back. Her eyes fluttered open wide, her breath coming in smothered heaves. She looked really scared; kind of reminded me of a deer caught in headlights.

"Relax, Kittie. It was all just a dream." I loosened my grip on her face and stroked her cheek instead to calm her down. It seemed to work, so I leaned down and kissed her forehead like my mom used to do when I had a bad dream. But instead of Kittie looking composed, her face was tomato red. _But why?_ I thought.

"Umm...P-Pony, why are you shirtless?" she stammered.

I understood why she was blushing now : I was _straddling_ her _without_ a shirt on, on a _bed. _I jumped off of Kittie quickly and handed her my bloody shirt from earlier to wipe the water off her face. She took it and left the room. I grabbed a shirt from the dresser drawer and put it on, then followed after her.

* * *

(Johnny's Point of View)

_Damn,_ I thought. _Sure is takin' Ponyboy a long time. _Just as I was about to go see where he went, Kittie came from the hall, wiping her face with a bloody shirt. Some of her hair looked wet.

"What happened?" I asked. She sat down next to me and threw the shirt on the armchair.

"I had a bad dream, so Ponyboy threw water in my face to wake me up." Kittie looked like she was trying to forget somethin'. The dream, maybe? And speak of the devil, he showed up not seconds after she mentioned him. He was thoughtful, and actually had a shirt on. Someone finally took my advice. I expected that my sister and my best friend would start talking when he came in, but they just sat on the couch.

Ponyboy got up again. "I'm gonna throw your dirty clothes in the wash right now, 'kay Kittie?"

"Sure. Thanks." More silence. Not that it bothers me, but it was wierd.

"Maybe we should all go to a movie tonight at the Nightly Double." I suggested.

"Yeah, that'd be fun," Kittie said, grinning. She loved movies. Pony was back again.

"Sure, Johnnycake." He glanced at Kittie and they were talking again. "And lets take Dally with us so Darry doesn't fuss about it.

* * *

Dally met up with us at a store in town. He had been walking around for an hour before, so the guy asked us to leave, but that didn't do anything. He had already stolen three packs of cigarettes and stashed 'em in his jacket. We walked to the fence in the back of the Nightly Double and jumped over it. Dally hated doing things the legal way.

"Its one of those beach movies, isn't it?" Kittie looked disappointed as we walked over to the seats. She liked comedy and horror films more.

"Yeah. Sorry, Kit-Kat." I said.

We were taking our seats in the no car section when Dally saw these girls. He eyed them and sat down behind them. I knew what he was up to. Kittie looked at me a little angrily. She didn't like Dally messin' with girls whether she was around or not. He started off dirty and got even dirtier as we sat by him. After a while, the girls left, but Dallas followed them. He was just asking for trouble.

"I'll see you guys later," he mumbled. If Dally didn't watch out, Kittie would smack him for being an idiot. I looked over at her; her eyes were closed. Kittie was really tired. I leaned back into my chair and relaxed, staring at the screen.

* * *

(KPOV)

Apparently, I fell asleep during the movie. I don't really like those beach movies anyway, so it didn't bother me too much. Ponyboy tapped me a few times to wake me up. And Two-Bit was there, sitting by Johnny. _When'd he get here?_ I thought.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty's awake!" he yelled.

"C'mon, Kittie. We're leaving now." Pony offered me his hand to help me up. I needed it more than I though; my legs were asleep. Ponyboy helped me walk out of the drive-in, then let me go. It was really cold outside the movies. Wishing I had a jacket, I rubbed my arms. I was walking with Johnny, not listening to the conversation, but jealously eyeing his jacket.

"Oh, before I forget..." Two-Bit said. "I'm really sorry about that bonehead stunt I pulled on ya, Kittie, so as a token of my deepest regrets and such...blah, blah, blah... accept this gift." He pulled out something from the inside of his jacket. I took it in my hands, feeling the texture. Wow. Two-Bit really got me this?

"You got me a leather jacket?" I put it on. It was the one I'd seen at Utica Square in this jacket shop last week when Pony, Johnny and I went. I slipped into it quickly. It made me look tuff.

"Well, _took off the store's hands_ is more correct, but sure. Pony told me about it when ya guys got back. I figured ya wouldn't beat the tar outta me if I snatched it for you." I smiled at him, and he gave me a smirk. It was hard to tell if he was drunk. An engine revved loudly down the street, making me jump a little. We were all headed for the lot, but Two-Bit decided he wanted to go home.

"My old lady's gonna be mad enough since I was drinking. Don't wanna piss her off more if I'm late too."

"See ya Two-Bit. And thanks for the jacket!" He waved at us, then disappeared into his house. The rest of us continued to the lot. We pulled out a piece of cardboard and laid on it.

"You going home, Pony?" Johnny asked.

"Nah, it isn't that late. I just want to stay out a little longer." He focused on the stars, and I stared at him until I faded into sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Woo! Three chapters and some reviews...good day. :D **

**i'm working on the fourth chapter now, and something BIG is gonna happen. i'm so good at keeping secrets. xD**

**it'll be up in a day or so (im hoping)**


	4. Faint

**A/N: I'm in the writing mood...ohh yeah. ^_^ ****So after January 11 (last day of winter break), i might not be writing as much, but i'll try my best to write a little something everyday.**

**I'm also sorry if Johnny's POV was short, but i have plans for him. ****Here's Chapter # Four. **

**(I don't own The Outsiders, just Kate 'kittie' Cade)**

**

* * *

**

(KPOV)

Arms wrapped around me, picking me up from the ground. This dream was different from the others; I could feel _everything._ Wind blew through my hair, and I felt the ground briefly before being lifted again. Ponyboy called my name. I heard voices all around me, and the revving of an engine. Odd. There were only two of us in my dream. My eyes flitted open, but in that same second, I'd wished they hadn't. I was in the backseat of a car with two Socs, and another one in the front. I looked up at the Soc holding me.

_Where's Johnny and Ponyboy?_

He grinned wickedly when he saw the fear in my eyes. This wasn't the bad dream I had today, but it was just as awful.

* * *

(PPOV)

A bright light flashed in my eyes, making me wake up. It was the headlights of a car. A Mustang to be exact.

"Johnny, wake up." I shoved his shoulder a few times, still staring at the car. Another one parked as Johnny stood up behind me. I wrenched myself up and looked down to see Kittie still sleeping. I picked her up so I didn't wake her, and stayed where I was. Seven Socs got out of the cars. One of them held a baseball bat.

"What're we gonna do, Ponyboy?" Johnny's hushed, panicked voice asked behind me.

"When they walk towards us, we run." He came out from behind me, both of us tensed and ready. They started towards us, but we turned and ran. I could hear the footsteps behind us, and sped up. Johnny was having trouble keeping up.

"Pony! I can't run anymore!" I could hear the lack of breath in his voice.

"We can't stop!" It was a wonder Kittie didn't wake up.

"I...can't..." Johnny fell in the background. I made a loop and went back for him. Holding Kittie awkwardly with one arm, I gave him my hand to get up. He took it and jumped up, but it was too late. The Socs surrounded us in a circle. A blonde Soc in front of me punched me in the face, and the rest of them started beating me and Johnny up. They punched every part of me that Kittie's body didn't cover. I struggled to keep a hold of Kittie and someone ripped her out of my arms. Three of them ran off with her towards the cars.

"Kate!" I yelled. The last thing I felt was metal connecting with my temple before I fell to the ground. Blackness smothered my vision as I fainted.

* * *

(KPOV)

I didn't know where these Socs were taking me or how I even got in their car, but I needed to get out and go back to the lot. I zipped up my leather jacket and brought my arm inside of it, leaving the other sleeve hanging empty. I got my blade out from my bra and slipped my arm back through the sleeve. I gripped onto my switchblade tightly.

"What ya doin' there, grease?" the dark-haired one holding me asked stupidly. I could smell cheap liquor coming off his breath.

"Nothing you should be concerned about. For now." All three of them laughed loudly. They were all drunk. The car stopped and I looked out the window. I knew where I was now; by Ponyboy's house. These soused idiots had been driving in a circle. The redhead Soc sitting next to me jumped over the passenger seat. I made my plan. The car started moving again.

"Ya know, Soc, you should really let me go now," I whispered so only he could hear.

"Why's that, greasy?" he whispered back. I fake-smiled at him and pressed the button on my switch. With my free hand, I grabbed the door handle.

"You really wanna know?" He nodded like an eager child.

"Well..." I began, but instead of giving him a reason, I held my knife to his throat, opened the door, and pushed myself out backwards. I hit the ground on my back, rolling a few feet down the road. The asphault burned my knees and hands. I got up quickly and ran towards the lot. They kept going instead of chasing after me, but I kept running, ignoring the stinging in my hands and the pain in my back.

* * *

(JPOV)

I woke up on the grass, not remembering passing out or even what happened. My head hurt, like I was having a really bad headache, but I didn't know why. My ribs ached. The only thing I did know is where I was; the backside of the lot. There's a field that's maybe fifty feet long before houses start again.

_Why am I here?_

My hands felt wet. I walked up towards the lot to find my object : a Pepsi bottle filled with water. I grabbed it and poured it over my hands, then stopped to really look at them. My hands weren't covered in dew, it was this wierd red-colored liquid. It wasn't clear, so it couldn't be juice...

_Oh god. No, no, no, no, no...What've I done?_

I looked behind me and spotted Ponyboy, lying on the ground. About four feet from him was a blonde boy, a baseball bat not far from him. He was too still, too pale. I examined him some more from where I was, and froze when something silver glinted in the moonlight, in his chest. It was _my_ switchblade. My lost memories came back then. Falling asleep in the lot with Kittie and Ponyboy, Pony waking me up, running from Socs, getting beaten up by them...

_"Johnny, wake up." Someone kept shoving my shoulder. I woke up to bright headlights in my eyes, and Ponyboy, not looking at me, but concentrated on the car. One more car pulled up as I stood behind him. Pony jumped up and looked down at the floor. He picked Kittie up bridal style, and stood facing the cars. Seven Socs got out. One held a baseball bat._

_"What're we gonna do, Ponyboy?"_

_"When they walk towards us, we run." I walked to his side and paused, waiting for them to make a move. They took one step, and we turned and ran. I struggled to keep up with Pony. He heard the footsteps close behind us, and sped up._

_"Pony! I can't run anymore!" My lungs burned, begged for more oxygen._

_"We can't stop!" He held onto Kittie tightly._

_"I...can't..." I fell, gripping onto the grass._

_**Ponyboy, save yourself and my sister. Don't try and help me, get away safely**. _

_But he came back for me. He offered me his hand to get up. I grabbed it and got up, but it didn't matter.. The Socs surrounded us in a circle. A blonde Soc in front of Ponyboy punched him in the face. The rest of them started beating us up. They punched and kicked every inch of me. Ponyboy couldn't fight back; he was trying to protect Kittie. Flashes of pain struck me every second. I tried to throw punches, but there were too many of them. Socs don't care if it isn't a fair fight. I tried to get my switchblade out of my back pocket._

_"Kate!" Ponyboy yelled. I heard a whoosh sound before Pony fell over. That blonde Soc hit him in the head with the bat. Three Socs left with Kittie and drove away. I was so angry I could've killed them all right there. They don't mess with my best friend or my sister like that. I finally got away from the Socs beating me up and ran over to that blonde kid. He hit me in the ribs with the bat and grinned at me. I got my blade out and flicked it open. He hit me again in the head. I thought I was gonna pass out right there, but I drove the blade into his chest. I stared at him crazily, seeing my reflection in his eyes. He dropped his bat, trying to walk towards the rest of his friends with blood gushing out of his chest and mouth. They stared at him with their mouths hanging open. He collapsed on his back as they ran away. He was dead. I felt sick. A chill went up my spine and my stomach turned into a ball of lead._

_"You're dead greaser, you hear me?!" a brown-haired Soc yelled as they ran towards the remaining car. It was all too much for me. I passed out. The last thing I felt was the soft grass beneath me._

I did that? I killed somebody? It just hit me, the weight of what I did. I made a debt I can't repay. I can't bring that guy back to life. I washed the rest of his blood off my hands, but when I looked at them I realized that no matter how clean they are, his blood will always be there.

* * *

**A/N: BUM-BUM, BUUUM! :O**

**Told you something BIG was going to happen. There it is.**

**now go and review!**


	5. Stay Safe

**A/N: I woke up and had an idea about how to do this chapter. Actually, I wake up everyday with ideas about chapters. **

**I came up with Kate and a lot of the story before I started writing it here. Its like....movies in my head. **

**Well, enuff o' that, Chapter 5 is here!!**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, just Kate 'Kittie' Cade)**

**

* * *

**

(JPOV)

I felt undescribable. I was disgusted at myself, angry at that Soc, yet at the same time sorry for him, and worried about my sister and Pony...I know Ponyboy's my best friend and all, but why did he come back for me? He could've saved Kittie from getting kidnapped and him passing out. I don't blame him for all this, but I would've given myself up to save the both of them. Especially Kate. She's my flesh and blood. I sat there for minutes, minutes that dragged on longer than hours. I looked up toward the lot, sensing I was being watched. The silhouette of a person looked down on the scene, in plain sight, their identity sealed by the night's shadows.

"Johnnycake?"

"Kate, is that you?" _But how? They drove away with her in the car..._

"Yeah, its me." She sounded close to tears as she bounded down the small hill. I stood up, unsure of what emotion was on my face. Kittie ran into my arms, her fists clenched. I rested my chin on her shoulder, feeling better that she was here with me.

"How'd you get away from them?" I knew she had a switchblade, but I didn't think Kittie had it in her to..._kill_...someone.

"Long story, but..." She trailed off and ran away from me, kneeling over Ponyboy's still form. Her hands brushed over his face lighter than feathers. She softly murmured his name in an attempt to wake him up. I looked back to my best friend's face and noticed weird streaks on it. I walked over to my sister slowly, grabbing her right hand. Kittie's wrist was cut, spilling blood all over her palm and fingers. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Must've happened when I jumped outta the car. I had my switch in the other hand..."_ She jumped out of a moving car?! _I went over to the Soc's body, yanked my blade out of his chest, and cut a strip off the bottom of my shirt. I heard her gasp behind me.

"Johnny, what...what happened?" she asked as I tightly wrapped the cloth around her wrist. I jogged up the hill, grabbing the water-filled Pepsi bottle and walked back down.

"I saw him hit Pony in the head with that baseball bat," I explained, washing Kittie's blood off her hand. "I didn't _know_ what I was doing 'till it happened...and _his blood_ was all over _my hands_ when I woke up. Kate...I..._killed..._him...and, and-" I broke down sobbing "-I'm_ so scared._" I placed the bottle on the grass and curled into a ball. She wrapped her arms around me.

"You know what you have to do now..." Kittie paused, then continued when I didn't answer. "You and Ponyboy...ya gotta runaway, just go and hide somewhere." I looked up at my sister incredulously. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Just the both of you, and then after a day or two I'll find you and tell you guys what's going on." Pony's eyes opened, and he stared at me and Kittie crying. He sat up quickly and walked over to us.

"What's going on?" he demanded softly, sitting beside Kate, sheltering her in his arm. I felt a little peeved by that...I don't have any idea why.

"Johnny..." she started. "He..._killed_ a Soc." Her voice broke on the word 'killed.' He took in the _dead_ blonde kid lying four feet from us. Pony threw a shocked glance at me. I nodded slowly in response. I didn't trust my voice enough to say anything.

"What do we do? The fuzz are gonna lock us up, Johnny!" He screamed frantically, panicking.

"Relax, Ponyboy," Kittie sighed into his ear. "I know a place where you guys can hide out. I heard Dally talkin' about it one day. Its up in Windrixville. He said there's an abandoned church up by Jay Mountain. Take the freight train up there. And-" She fiddled around in her jacket pockets-"Take this." She held about forty bucks in her hand. Pony and I gaped at her as she pressed it into my palm.

"I stole it from mom's room. Thought it might come in handy one day." She stared at Ponyboy, noticing the blood smears on his face and the fact he didn't have a jacket. Kittie shrugged out of it, placing it in his lap. He just laid his eyes on her again skeptically.

"You need it more than I do." She grabbed the Pepsi bottle, poured water onto her fingers, and wiped the blood off his face. "Leave now, before the cops come. I'll get Dally to drive me out there in a day or two, 'kay? Once he hears I know where you guys are, he'll jet out there fast as he can." Kittie stood up, and the both of us got up woodenly.

"Stay safe, Johnnycake. Both of you," she breathed before squeezing me in a hug, kissing my cheek as she pulled away.

"We'll be fine," I replied. There were fresh tears in her eyes. Kittie turned to Ponyboy, embracing him differently. The hug didn't last long, but my jaw hit the floor at what she did next. Kate stared into his eyes, then angled his chin down to press her lips to his. Surprisingly, Pony kissed Kittie back, holding her waist tenderly. Her hands rested on either side of his face, then she pulled away, handing him her switch. It was very brief, but I could sense her feelings for my best friend then.

"See you guys later," Kate whispered. "Now run!" We obliged, running in the direction of the train tracks without stopping.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, the product of one day. Its better when I finish chapters sooner, because then I can write more! :D**

**Review, if its not too much trouble to ask...**

**They're like...a hot giant stack of flapjacks covered in sweet syrup......**

**yeah. xD**


	6. Feelings

**A/N: God, I torture characters. **

**A good long Johnny POV last chapter. :) I just thought I'd show his feelings about killing someone. I mean, we saw him freak out in _The Outsiders_, but he never actually said how he felt about it.**

**Chapter. Six. Is. Here!**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, just Kate 'Kittie' Cade)**

**

* * *

**

(KPOV)

The sunrise warmed my skin as it intruded in through the window. I was sure my eyes were bloodshot; they stung from crying all night. Last night was possibly the worst of my life. I'd ran to the Curtis house, tears pouring down my face, and bursted through the front door. Darry thought Pony came home, but when he saw me, he wanted to know where they went. I couldn't tell him anything, bawling like I was, so I laid down on Soda's bed, just to be closer to Ponyboy in a way.

Someone had their arm over me. I rolled into their unconscious embrace, hoping, even praying that last night was imagined. But I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I knew all too well where my brother and my...well, I don't exactly know what Ponyboy is to me now...had gone. I turned over again, sitting up in Pony and Sodapop's bed, making Soda tumble out of it. He jumped up sleepily, crawling back under the covers, but sat up.

"You okay, Kittie?" His brown eyes were drenched with concern and sadness.

"No. I'm sure as hell anything but okay," I croaked. On the verge of tears, I looked away from Sodapop. He turned me back towards him.

"Do you wanna talk then?" I nodded slowly.

"You'll find out later today, so I might as well...but can I tell you something else first? Something I haven't even told Johnny?"

"Sure. Is it like...secret?" Soda whispered the last part, almost making me laugh. Almost. I nodded again.

"I've been having dreams, ones that didn't make sense to me 'till yesterday..." His head bobbed up and down for me to continue. "I'm in this black dress, its strapless long, flowing, and I'm running through fields of grass and flowers...now don't you laugh Sodapop Curtis." He started chuckling at me running through fields...or the idea of me in a dress. I gave him a death-stare.

"I'm sorry." He folded his hands into his lap and gave me such a goody-two-shoes smile that I giggled.

"Well, yeah, I'm running until I stop at the edge of this lake. Its during sunset, and _he's_ there, in a white suit, waiting for me-"

"_Who_ is it?"

"I'll get to that. He's standing there and I walk towards him, and he starts walking towards me. We stop an inch away from each other, then passionately kiss-" Soda cleared his throat. "We kiss only to be separated by people, weather, or whatever."

"The point?" He ran a hand through his wheat-colored hair.

"There's always something in the way. We never get to stay together for long. I think it was a warning for me...just like my nightmare yesterday. These people with masks started attacking him and Johnny...and I couldn't do anything. They were holding me back."

"Kittie...who are you dreaming about?" He looked into my eyes seriously.

"Ponyboy..." Soda's jaw dropped.

"My brother?"

"Yeah...I didn't understand why...but now I do."

"Does this have anything to do with why he didn't come home?"

"It ties in." I launched into my story, starting from Darry stitching my head up yesterday, going on to Pony waking me up, the movies, falling asleep in the lot, waking up in the Socs' car...everything, except where they were going.

"You kissed Pony?" If his eyes got any wider, they'd fall out of his skull.

"Yeah. If anything happened to either of us, I wanted him to know how I feel."

"So, are you and Pony...ya know...a couple?" Sodapop seemed hopeful, a slight smile on his face.

"I honestly don't know Soda," I replied. Even I could hear the sadness in my voice.

"I wouldn't mind havin' you as a sister." I laughed a little at that, but it made me feel accepted.

"So, now you know what happened."

"Little Johnnycake killed a Soc...man. Do you know where they went?" He glanced at me desperately. I almost told him right there, but I stopped myself.

_It wouldn't help anything. Ponyboy and Johnny would get caught if we all went._

"I do, but I can't tell you, Sodapop. It would be really risky...but I'm leaving to see them tomorrow. I'll give him a letter for you, if ya want." His face dropped a little.

"Yeah. I'll give it to ya tomorrow mornin'." He hopped out of the bed. "I'm gonna start makin' breakfast."

"Just don't make my eggs green. Purple is a way better color." I heard Soda chortling from the kitchen as I grabbed one of Pony's shirts from the drawer to change into.

* * *

(PPOV)

I woke up on cobblestones in an unfamiliar leather jacket. Disoriented, I looked around the church for Johnny, my memories flooding back with every second. I couldn't find him.

_Crap. What if Johnny's mad at me about last night?_

If he was, it would make hiding together difficult. I tried to feel regret, but I couldn't regret kissing Kate. I tried to forget it, I really did, but I went from thoughts about my brothers and the gang to Kittie's embrace. Her full lips felt incredible against my own, her soft hands were light but strong on my face. It was so amazing, so unbelieveable....and so _wrong._ Johnny's my best friend. Kittie is not only his sister but another close friend. It wouldn't only be weird for Johnny, but if Kate and I were to break up...well, it won't happen because we won't get together. I know how she feels, but for the gang's sake, for Johnny's sake, and for her sake, I won't return it. I can't. I'm no one special anyways.

* * *

**A/N: Kittie's dreams are revealed! And Ponyboy's feelings...**

**Plus, we finally see Sodapop! woo! **

**Well, review if you want. They're like....glasses to the blind....**

**yeah. xD**


	7. Mistake

**A/N: I haven't written in two days...its been _killing _me. So, I'm doing nothing but writing today! :D**

**Also, thanks to MusicismyLife76, imprinted23, aces1219, captainsequins, and EternalBookworm823 for the reviews. Because if I hadn't gotten any reviews, I probably would've : a) ended the story or b) kept writing, but made it very depressing.**

**Chapter 7 is for YOU! :)**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, just Kate 'Kittie' Cade.)**

**

* * *

**

(JPOV)

Yesterday was the longest, most awkward day of my life so far. Long, because the only thing to do was play cards and my sister was in Tulsa. I hadn't gone one day without seeing Kate. Awkward, because I had to spend the whole day in the church with my best friend who'd kissed Kittie, and keep assuring him that I wasn't mad. I'm not mad at Ponyboy, its just...if they get together, and break up...

A car engine running outside distracted me. I heard the engine cut before footsteps echoed around the church to the back entrance. Muffled voices seeped in through holes in the walls.

"...just don't understand...Why didn't you...could've told me...need to know where...I got worried." It was a guy's voice.

"We didn't have time...and they needed to get out of there."

"Who's there?" I asked too loudly, waking up Ponyboy. His eyes were red.

"What's goin' on, Johnny?" he demanded dryly, clearly unhappy to wake up.

"Outside...there's people outside." Pony and I got up, waiting for them to enter. He reached in his pocket, pulling out Kittie's switch. We both relaxed when Dallas came in, grinning. He ran over to us, slinging his arms around our shoulders.

"Okay, put yer weapons down, its just harmless me." Dally ruffled my hair. I groaned out loud. I never did like people messing with my hair. He chuckled. "Sorry we woke you guys up." He played with the zipper on his jacket.

"We?" Ponyboy questioned. We both stared, confused, into Dal's ice blue eyes

"Kittie-Kat's in the car." I shrugged out from under his arm and sprinted outside. The sunlight reflecting off the car blinded me as I jumped over the passenger door. I heard an "Ow" as I landed on Kate's lap.

"Well, hello to you too, Johnnycake," she giggled as I hugged her. I missed her so much. She looked slightly different, still wearing the same dirty jeans and sneakers, but sporting a white tee with the sleeves cut off. Kittie's bruises showed on her left cheek and arms. Her hair was up in a sloppy bun that drooped by her right ear 'cuz she had so much hair. She smiled at me, unbothered by my inspection. That smile disappeared when Kittie looked up. I followed her focus and saw Ponyboy standing there, his eyes fixed on her as well. I climbed over the driver's seat to sit in the back, still watching the both of them.

"Um...hey there..." He mumbled, trailing off weakly, looking away from her. Kate's eyes tightened. She laughed. Surprised, he looked back at her.

"I thought it'd be like this...I guess its all me, right? Well, forgive me..." Kittie replied bitterly, still laughing humorlessly. "My mistake. Just me." Her eyes closed, scrunching together in pain. Dally came out, observing the scene. "All my fault for feeling something for once." Kittie got out of the car and slammed it closed. She started to walk away. I stared after her in disbelief.

"Kate," Ponyboy called after her. "Kate, don't go! We can still be friends." She turned around to face him, pulling a folded letter from her pocket. Kittie shoved it in his hand.

"Its from Sodapop. I promised him I'd give it to you...and no, we can't...not anymore." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shouted in his face. "My mistake!" Kittie yelled as she ran away from us. I thought Pony'd go after her, but he whirled around to face me and Dally. Dallas grabbed him by the jacket and threw him roughly in the back seat with me. He drove fast down the long road.

"Where are we going?" I asked Dally, worried about Kate.

"Back to Tulsa," he answered tersely. Ponyboy stared at Kittie's switch in his hands.

"What about Kittie?" I implored wildly.

"I _know_ she's going back there...she can't stay at the church without a jacket, she ain't got no money, and she's got nowhere else to go. Hell, I'm worried about Kittie too, Johnny. After you guys killed that Soc, its been open season on greasers. If she's caught up in all of that..." He shook his head, refusing to think about it. "I'll search for her all day if I have to. I'll kill 'em if they lay a hand on her."

"You think we wouldn't?" Ponyboy exploded. He'd been crying.

"I know for a fact Johnnycake would!" Dally yelled back. "But you...I don't know about you anymore! Just look at what you did now..."

"What did I do? She was the one screaming at me!" His eyes were feral as he searched for an answer. That set me off. Either he was playing dumb or he was really ignorant.

"You broke her heart, goddammit!!" I hollered at my best friend. Pony recoiled like I'd punched him in the gut. His breath came in supressed sobs.

"Oh god...Johnny...I..I'm a..._monster_," he whispered between his stifled wheezes.

* * *

(KPOV)

I jumped out of the stranger's car, not bothering to thank him for the ride, and definitely not caring if he thought I was rude. He drove off quickly as I picked a red rose from someone's yard. I ran to Ponyboy's house, hoping I'd get there before Dally, Johnny and him arrived. It was almost sunset when I threw the front door open. The gang was sitting around the living room, gaping at me. Darry stood up.

"Kate, where did you go this morning?" His voice was full of authority. Steve, Two-Bit, and Soda waited for my answer.

"I left with Dally to go see Johnny...and Ponyboy." It hurt so much to say his name. I twirled the flower in my fingers to distract myself. "I shouldn't have gone." I managed to step around him, but Soda prevented me from going to their room.

"What happened, Kittie?" he demanded, his eyes beseeching.

"I don't wanna talk about it...about _him_." I looked down at the rose in my hand. "I just need to do something by myself, okay? And when I leave your house, don't let anyone go in your room but Johnny and...Pony. Please, for me." His brown eyes were serious for once.

"Alright." He opened the door to let me in.

"Thanks, Sodapop." I shut the door behind me and started looking for paper and a pen. I tore two pages out of Ponyboy's composition book and borrowed one of his pens. Shoving the books off the cluttered desk, I started thinking about what I would write. On the first, I wrote a quick note to the both of them :

_Don't bother looking for me. I don't want or need you guys worrying. _

_Johnnycake, I'm so sorry if I'm hurting you by staying away, but I just can't deal with myself or anything right now. I need some time to think alone. I promise I'm coming back. Love ya, big brother._

_Ponyboy, I don't know if you even care where I am, but it doesn't matter anyway. Its obvious that you don't anymore, so I'm not gonna waste my time on a lost cause. Maybe I was the wrong one here, but you didn't exactly reject me two nights ago. If only I could go back and change it...not for myself, but for you, to save you all this fucking regret._

_Don't come after me. Its pointless, since I'll come back eventually. Stay away._

_- Kittie_

I folded the other page and shoved it in my pocket. Something told me I'd need it later. I set the note on his bed, placing the red rose beside it. I ransacked Soda and Pony's closet for a sweater. Zipping up the black piece of cloth hastily, I opened the bedroom window and jumped out, running away from the residential part of town.

* * *

**A/N: Lots of pain and drama! I am such a torturer of characters...**

**Well, review if you like the story so far. They're like....giant pieces of cheese to mice. xD**

**I really need to stop with the bad analogies/similies.**


	8. Back in Tulsa

**A/N: Ugh, my last day of freedom. This will be a short chappee, but VERY important.**

**So, without further delay, here is chapter eight. :D**

**Oh, and thank you Mz. Jinky for reviewing.**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, just Kate 'Kittie' Cade.)**

**

* * *

**

(PPOV)

We drove all around Tulsa until sunset, looking for Kate, just not finding her. I didn't care if the police recognized me and arrested me. It still wouldn't distract me from what I did. Seeing Kittie bitter and angry like that...I don't want her to be that way. Never again. Those memories played over and over again like a broken record in my head.

_"I thought it'd be like this...I guess its all me, right? Well, forgive me...My mistake. Just me. All my fault for feeling something for once." _I flinched internally as I remembered, knowing I'd caused her so much pain.

_"I know for a fact Johnnycake would!" Dally yelled. "But you...I don't know about you anymore! Just look at what you did now..."_

_"What did I do? She was the one screaming at me!" _

_"You broke her heart, goddammit!!" Johnny hollered me. __**Kittie...loves me? Her feelings for me go that deep, and I turned her away?** _

_"Oh god...Johnny...I..I'm a...monster."_

Dally's voice broke me from my disturbing thoughts. "Y'all get outta the car. I'll keep lookin' for her. It ain't gonna help anything if you two get caught by the fuzz." Johnny slid out of the seat. I realized then that we were by my house. I jumped out woodenly. Dallas glared at me when I glanced at him.

"Dal, tell her I'm sorry," I pleaded. He gave me a sharp nod.

"Thanks, Dallas. I really appreciate it, man." Johnny's voice was soft, yet sincere.

"No problem. I'd do anything for you or Kittie." He drove off, leaving us standing on the curb. Johnny tugged on my jacket so we could get inside my house. We entered hesitantly, ignoring everyone's shocked expressions. Darry and Soda froze. Two-Bit dropped the bowl of chips he was holding and Steve's mouth fell open.

"Pony? Am I going crazy or is it really you?" Soda asked incredulously. "Oh, that's right...Pony, Johnny, ya gotta go to my room now. It's important."

"Sodapop?" Steve squeaked.

"Ponyboy, Johnny, you have to. Its about Kittie." Johnny and I stared at each other before sprinting to my bedroom. I spotted the red rose and note on my bed.


	9. Raindrops

**A/N: I'm sorry it took me a week to get this up.**

**I promise this chapter will be longer than the last one. :)**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, just Kate 'Kittie' Cade)**

**

* * *

**

(KPOV)

I walked all over town, going nowhere in particular. Taking in the city was harder than I thought it'd be. I was born, grew up, and now, would die in Tulsa. I don't care if it sounds melodramatic, I'm just gonna end it all. All the pain, suffering..._heartbreak_...I couldn't deal with it anymore. I'd probably kill my parents if they ever hit me again...not that it would be a bad thing, but still. I never learned how to swim, so I planned to throw myself in the Arkansas River. I'd finally meet the sunset of my life. I took my time walking by, but refused to let the finality hit me. I knew what I'd see if did.

_Johnny. The whole gang. Ponyboy._

It started to rain, drenching my borrowed sweater. I cut through a parking lot, slowing down to appreciate the last raindrops of my life. Tulsa grew silent, its citizens clearing the street. It took longer for me to hear the footsteps through the rain. Before I knew it, the dark figures surrounded me entirely, making escape impossible. One smiled menacingly at me.

"Hey greasy," the familiar voice said. "Remember me?" When I shook my head, he continued.

"I was in the backseat of that car with you." I gasped. He chuckled a little, then his face grew eerily serious.

"Your little buddies killed my friend, but I'm sure you knew that. And since they're not here to protect you, we're collecting our debt. An eye for an eye." My hands started to shake, my knees wobbled uncontrollably, and I knew I was going to die. Just not like I planned.

"Why me?" I squeaked. Fear ran through me. I should've never done this. I'm only fourteen, and I'm going to die.

"Why not?" he replied. I took a second to compose myself.

"Can I at least know your name? Just so I know who's killing me?" The adrenaline from anticipation ran through my veins, making me feel brave.

_Maybe they won't go after anyone else. Maybe they won't hurt the ones I love. It'll end with me._ That thought made me peaceful. I'd die, and they wouldn't hurt my true family. I was almost happy.

"Daniel Johnson," he replied politely before punching me in the jaw. I felt the blood spilling in my mouth, yet made no move to stop any of the guys hitting me. It'd be useless to fight back now. They outnumbered me. The Socs continued to punch me until I fell over. They kicked me in the ribs, breaking a few of them. It was harder to breathe. Stabs of pain went through me everytime their feet connected with my body. I saw Daniel move over to my ankle before he twisted and broke it. I merely let out a gasp of pain, wanting to scream my head off, but not able to get enough air. One of them kicked me in the head, making my vision blurry. Another broke my arm with something metal. I hadn't noticed the baseball bat. Waves of pure, mind-splitting pain rolled through me as the rain continued to fall harder. The puddle I laid in was freezing cold.

Was this the end then?

Here I was, getting beaten up by Socs, face to face with my inevitable demise. No flashbacks of home. No memories of childhood. No fear. I was just blank. My vision was crystal clear, but I couldn't see.

"Get the fuck off of her!" A voice yelled. I looked over to see Dally's shoes running towards us. One of the Socs swung the bat at him, but Dallas caught it and pried it out of the Soc's hands. Dallas swung wildly, hitting every guy within a two-foot radius. I stared at him, and noticed three red slashes on his white shirt. Blood spread through the cotton, quickly staining it. I saw Daniel with a stained switch running away.

"Let's leave! She's not gonna live anyways!" Daniel shouted. The rest of his goons followed, jumping quickly into his blue Mustang. Dally kneeled down, picking me up. I shook from the cold surrounding me. He laid me in the passenger seat of his car, apologizing when he pressed on my ribs. He drove swiftly down the slick roads, accelerating as we got closer to the hospital.

"W-Why'd you save m-me?" I stuttered between sharp breaths. He smirked.

"If I told ya, you'd think I went soft." Dally cursed under his breath, clutching at his stained shirt.

"Tell me," I whispered. He looked over at me, eventually giving in.

"Well...I ain't got nobody... 'cept for the gang. Don't have any family...none that cares anyways. But you, you got Johnny and he got you. You got parents, but they don't care. Johnny's your only family that matters. _He cares._ If you're gone, Johnny don't have anything, and the other way around. It'd kill me everyday to see Johnnycake or you so helpless. I got nothing to lose, but the both of you do. I'd give myself up to keep ya both together." Dally parked the car outside the hospital. Tears fell out of my eyes. Dallas didn't care about a thing...except me and Johnny.

"Stop yer crying. Unless its about the pain." I felt so lightheaded all of a sudden. The world blurred.

"Kittie-Kat?" Dally asked. "Stay awake. Pony said he's sorry...don't pass out on me!" Without permission, my mind went black.

* * *

(JPOV)

I stared at the ceiling, hoping Kittie'd come back soon. Dally and her had been gone for a long time. Ponyboy sat on his couch beside me, head in his hands, sobbing. The look on his face after he read her note was so..._broken._ I'd let him cry and think it out. The rest of the gang sat in the kitchen, leaving the both of us alone. Pony still held Kate's switchblade, turning it over and over again in his hands.

"Johnny...why did I do that?" he asked me quietly. His voice was hoarse from crying.

"I don't know. Do you have...feelings...for Kittie?" It was a bit uncomfortable asking, but I needed to know.

"Yeah," he sniffed. "I just...freaked after I kissed her. I thought you'd me mad and wouldn't like us being together. And then, if we broke up...that would screw everything, the whole gang up. After all this time, I finally realize those protective feelings for Kate were...more. I promised myself not to hurt her, but I ended up doing it anyways." Pony looked up at me pleadingly. "I'm so sorry, Johnnycake. This is all my fault."

"Its fine, Pone. I don't-" I was cut off by the telephone ringing. Darry walked to it and answered.

"Curtis house...Yes, we know them...Who is this?" Ponyboy stared at his older brother, very confused. Darry's face went blank at whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying. "We'll be right over," he replied seriously, slamming the phone down.

"Guys, we gotta leave now!" He bellowed. Two-Bit, Steve and Sodapop came out of the kitchen, puzzled looks plastered on their faces.

"Darry, what's going on?" I demanded. His severeness was making me edgy.

"That was the hospital, Johnny. Dally and Kate are there." The rest of the guys were in action, almost ready to walk out of the door. But me and Ponyboy were still frozen on the couch, not quite absorbing Darry's words. Darry spotted us still sitting down, and leaned over.

"Pony, Johnny, we need to go _now_. I didn't wanna tell anyone else, but one of them...either Kate or Dally is"- He took a deep breath-"is _dead."_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: Yet another cliff-hanging chapter. That's just my style.**

**I feel like a total bitch for hurting my own creation. X(**

**Well, review. They're just...awesome. :D**


	10. Angel

**A/N: I hate cliffhangers...when they're not mine. xD I know how you feel shennadoh, but thanks for reviewing. You too xthose3wordsx :)**

**I have a three day weekend because of Martin Luther King jr Day, so i might be able to get two chapters up. :D**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, just Kate 'Kittie' Cade.)**

**

* * *

**

(KPOV)

Brightness showed behind my eyelids. Red, like the burning pain I'd recieved God knows how long ago. But I felt different. Floaty, weightless...yet numb. Like I was asleep.

I woke up to the filtered light inside of the church and the warmth of a person lying with me. Looking around my vaguely familiar surroundings, I felt only two things :

Fear. Where was Johnny? Did he go elsewhere? If he did runaway (more than we already had), then why didn't he take Pony and me with him? Had he abandoned us? Did the fuzz catch him?

Before my insides could completely lock in ice, the other feeling took over me completely.

Flustered. I was curled around Ponyboy, my arms around his neck and my legs tangled in his. His arm was draped over my shoulder, his pink lips just inches from mine. I was blushing madly, the heat from embarrassment clouding my head. The most awkward thing in all of this was that I liked the closeness the situation brought. I wanted him to stay twisted with me. My heart pumped furiously as I thought of what other people might think. I also realized that a part of me didn't care.

Trying to relax my breathing, I gently laid my head back on the cobblestone floor, and fell asleep once more.

* * *

Muffled whimpers sounded nearby, invading my sleep. I no longer felt weightless; the pain made it almost impossible to focus, to breathe. My eyelids snapped open at the sudden assault of pain. A glowy light curtained my sight, making everything I saw cloudy and blurred. All I could see was white. My ears felt like they were stopped up with cotton.

_Wait...I'm dead, right? And that...dream-thing I saw earlier was just my imagination?_ I felt slightly disappointed. That was my last memory with Ponyboy, and it wasn't even real! I opened my mouth to scream, just to vent my frustration (and because I was in agony), but I couldn't get enough air in my afterlife lungs. All that came out was a weak yelp. Huh. Maybe they didn't like shouting in the afterlife.

"Kittie?" a voice said so softly, I could barely hear it even in the silence. I felt soft, warmth shelter my right hand. I tried to lift my head up, but gravity pulled me back. Maybe you're not allowed to see angels. Whatever the reason was, I felt peaceful despite the pain.

"Kate, are you in pain?" the angel asked lowly. I nodded. He let go of my hand briefly, then held it again.

"I'm gonna make it go away," he murmured. "You're gonna be okay." It sounded like the angel was crying, or was about to.

"Don't cry for me," I moaned faintly. As I spoke, sweet numbness trickled down my veins. My rigid body went slack. I felt that floating sensation again.

"Is it gone?" he queried. His hands still surrounded mine. I felt the darkness looming, threatening to overcome me at any second. I nodded again. The angel pressed his disconcertingly soft lips to my forehead. He caressed my hand soothingly, slowly lulling me back into slumber.

* * *

(PPOV)

I was a wreck. All the gang was taking it hard too, but not like I was. Not even Johnny. He sat back, staring at nothing, just letting the numbness take over him. I didn't blame him. Numbness is good in the beginning. The hardest part was going in...to identify the body. It was harder than I thought it'd be. They died because of me.

"Is this your friend?" the doctor asked brusquely, like he was in a rush or something. We all nodded somberly. "What _was_ his name?" The gang was silent. It was too soon for us to mention him. Much too soon.

"Dallas Winston," I breathed, stepping forward. "His name _is _Dallas Winston." I moved his blonde hair in his face, just the way he liked it. Everyone stared at me. They knew I was about to lose it. They could hear it in my voice. The asshole doctor wasn't exactly helping. "He _is_ our friend. Always will be." The doctor, uncaring, went on. I guess it never occured to him that people need time to heal.

"Well, Mr. Winston bled out. He had three deep puncture wounds in his torso and one in his thigh, appearing to be from a switchblade. Someone stabbed him in the iliac and femrol arteries, both major arteries, causing massive amounts of blood to spill from his body. Mr. Winston tried to assure us he was fine and wouldn't let us treat him. He wanted help the other kid they brought in."

"Her name is Kate, you fucker!" I exploded. "Kate Orchid Cade! I know you don't wanna deal with us _hoods_, but could you at least _pretend_ to have an ounce of fucking compassion?!" And with that, I stormed out of the room, tears streaming down my face. I didn't know where I was going until I arrived at Kittie's room. It was harder to see her all taped and plastered up than seeing Dally dead with blood-stained clothes. Crying already from that, I full out howled and bawled by Kate's bed. It was a wonder she didn't wake up immediately. Out of nowhere, Kittie let out a shriek that clawed at my ears.

"Kittie?" I asked. I took her right hand in between both of mine, trying to comfort her. She attempted to lift her head up, but couldn't get it off the pillow. She didn't answer me.

"Kate, are you in pain?" I asked again, louder this time. Kittie nodded slowly. I got up quickly, running to the door.

"We need a nurse!" I yelled at the nurse's desk. One of them started jogging over, so I returned to Kittie's side, taking her hand in mine again.

"I'm gonna make it go away," I told her. "You're gonna be okay." I was about to start sobbing again. The nurse's entrance stopped me though. She took out a syringe filled with some clear liquid. Confused, I stared at her.

"Morphine," she whispered, injecting it into the IV.

"Don't cry for me," Kate sighed, her body relaxing as the drugs relieved her pain.

"Is it gone?" I wanted to make sure she was alright. Kate nodded once more. I kissed her forehead gently, stroking her hand until her eyes shut closed.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, another chapter done. :)**

**Oh, and before I forget, there's a poll up on my profile. The question : Should I make a sequel to _Three_, or stop when its done?**

**Vote and review!**


	11. Thursday

**A/N: It was raining in California last week! :D**

**If you haven't voted on the poll yet, go to my profile and vote!!**

**(I don't own_ The Outsiders_, but I do own Kate 'Kittie' Cade.)**

**

* * *

**

(JPOV)

I'd been sitting in Kate's room for hours, even though I hated hospitals. My sister...she was beaten up badly. So, I sucked it up because she was the most important person in my life and 'cause she would've done the same for me. It must've been late, but the nurses didn't kick the gang and me out. Especially after Ponyboy told that doctor off, they knew staying away would hurt all of us. Every few minutes a nurse would pop her head in and when they saw him sitting in a chair next to Kittie, their eyes went wide. I didn't blame them. To be honest, Pony scared me a little when he yelled at that doc. Now he was asleep, head resting against the metal hospital bed, holding Kate's hand. I got up from my seat on the tiled floor to stretch a little. My right foot was numb, so I had to limp to the door.

"Johnnycake?"

I whirled around, then ran to Kittie's left side. Her eyes were open wide, looking a little puffy from sleeping. The florescent light glowed in her black eyes. Kate's hair was still in its sloppy bun, but it was all wet. Bruises were forming and fading on her arms; tomorrow that bruise "Dad" gave her would be gone, but a new one would be at her jaw.

"Johnny, are you dead too?" she asked, ending my inspection. I was shocked at my sister's question. Why would Kate think we were dead?

"No baby, we're both _alive._" Kittie looked confused.

"If we're alive, then why did I see an _angel? _I saw an angel, Johnny," she went on matter-of-factly. "It hurt so much, but then he made my pain go away...and I was dead. D-e-a-d." I thought about it for a minute. _She was definitely alive when Dally_-I flinched at his name. Dallas wasn't just my idol, he was my friend...and he was _gone._ Because of me. I felt the moisture fill my eyes. If I hadn't _killed _that Soc...but Kate didn't know about Dally, that he died trying to help her...

"No, Kate...you weren't the one who saw an angel," I whispered, tears pouring out of my eyes. She stared at me confused, then panicked.

"Is it...no, no, no, it can't be...Is it Pony?" Kate asked, sounding like someone was strangling her. It wasn't until Kittie sat up - wincing as she did so - and moved her right hand that she noticed Ponyboy's existence. Her expression turned embarassed, then sheepish.

"Is he...mad at me?" she asked. " 'Cause of the _note?_" I shook my head. Kate relaxed a little bit, still holding Pony's hand.

"He's really torn up about you gettin' hurt...thinks it woulda never happened if it weren't for him turnin' ya down. He was sobbing all the time you were gone." She thought about this new info for a sec, then leaned over to kiss Ponyboy's forehead. I was still crying beside her.

"Ow," Kate whimpered. "My ribs hurt. I guess it could've been worse if Dally hadn't saved me."

"Wait...Dally _saved_ you?" She nodded.

"Those _Socs_ were beating me up. They'd broke some of my ribs, my right ankle, and my left arm. But then Dallas came, took their baseball bat and started swingin'. Those filthy excuses for men ran away after that." My eyes were huge as I took in the lumps of plaster on her limbs. Dally did all that for Kittie?

_He wouldn't have had to if I hadn't killed that fuckin' Soc! _

"Hey Johnnycake, where's Dallas? I wanna thank him..." She teared up a little. I took a deep breath, readying myself for what I was about to do.

"Kittie...ya can't thank Dally." She stared at me blankly.

"Why not, Johnny? If it wasn't for him, I'd be six feet under right now!" Kate woke up Ponyboy, who was looking around red-eyed. He let go of her hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked me softly. Kate answered for me.

"He's telling me that I can't thank Dallas for saving my life." He flinched at the mention of Dally's name.

"You haven't told her?" Pony asked incredulously. I shook my head.

"Haven't told me what? What's going on?" Kittie's voice got more panicked as she went on. "What aren't you telling me, Johnny? Ponyboy...Pony, what happened?" She placed her right hand on his face, pleading.

"Kit-Kat, you can't thank Dally for helping you because-" Pony swallowed-"Because he's...dead." He was crying by the time he finished, and so were me and Kittie. She dropped her hand from Pony's face and laid back on the bed, her breath catching in her throat.

"Dallas...is dead...because of _me._" Kate's tears slid down the side of her face. "If I hadn't...if I hadn't run away...he'd be alive...but I _did._" I wiped the salt-water off her face while Pony - standing up now - murmured comforting things to her.

"It isn't your fault," he whispered. "Its mine. If I hadn't been such an asshole to ya, you never would've ran away in the first place. Don't blame yourself, Kittie."

"You're both wrong," I stated, wiping away my own tears. "If I hadn't..._killed_ that Soc, none of this woulda happened."

"Maybe its Dally's own fault..." Kate breathed, sitting back up. She whimpered a little 'cause of her ribs. "When he was driving me here, he told me something...something I didn't expect to hear coming from him." She paused for a sec to catch her breath. "He said that-" Kittie was cut off by Steve, Two-Bit, Darry and Sodapop coming in the room.

"The amazing Kate _Orchid_ Cade has woken on Thursday!" Soda yelled a little sleepily. Kate turned pink at her middle name. Nobody except Pony, Darry and me knew what it was. Until now.

"Ya think with a middle name like 'Orchid' she'd smell better," Steve teased. "Flower girl just smells like no good greasers."

"Think about it this way, Johnnycake," Two-Bit snickered at me. "At least you'll know when Kate_ Orchid _gets de-flowered!" Everyone was laughing at that except for me, Pony, and Kate. Even Darry was chuckling. Kittie's cheeks were scarlet. I groaned out loud at Two-Bit's joke. I didn't wanna think about _that_, much less hear_ it_.

"Hey, don't cry Kittie-Kat!" Soda pleaded, seeing the tear streaks on her face. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't have made fun of yer name." Kate cringed into her pillows at Dally's nickname for her.

"Its not that, Pepsi-cola. Its just...Dally...and he used to call me that," she explained. The guys all nodded knowingly. Ponyboy, who was still standing silently beside her, wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder. Kate angled her neck around to kiss him gently. Pony kissed her back a little shocked, but still lovingly. Kittie's full pink lips lingered on his, both returning their feelings excitedly. It would've normally bothered me, but it was clear how deep their bond went, so I didn't protest.

Darry did.

"K-Kate...Ponyboy, you realize we're all still in the room, right?" He was flabbergasted and furious at the same time. I shoulda took a picture of his face...it was _priceless._ They just ignored Darry's words and the startled giggles from Two-Bit, Sodapop, and Steve. Ponyboy deepened the kiss, bringing his left hand to rest on Kate's face. They were both gasping for air at that point.

"Ponyboy," Darry repeated. My best friend continued to ignore his older brother. I started laughing uncontrollably. "Ponyboy Michael Curtis!!" The two of them stopped, panting for air. Pony pecked Kittie on the lips before disentangling himself. She was holding her ribs with her right arm.

"Prolly...wasn't...the best...idea...with...my ribs," Kate wheezed. "But...it was...worth it." She smirked at Pony, who was grinning back at her. Soda's smile was so big he looked like a chessy cat.

"They're finally together!!" He sounded like a squealing schoolgirl. "Welcome to the family, Johnnycake!"

"Wait...What?" I asked stupidly. Welcome?

"Whaddya mean 'welcome' Sodapop?" Pony asked of his older brother. "They've always been a part of our family."

* * *

**A/N: Haven't updated in a long while...I'm so sorry. :)**

**Well, there ya have it. **


	12. Valentine

**A/N: Ugh, I'm so, SO sorry I haven't updated in so long. School's been busy.**

**I really hope this makes up for all the waiting. :)**

**(I don't own _The Outsiders_, but I do own 'Kate Orchid Cade' a.k.a. Kittie, Kit-Kat, or Kittie-Kat)**

**P.S : Happy Birthday, Kurt Cobain. I wish I could've met you.**

**Also, I highly recommend listening to Nirvana's "Marigold" and their cover of Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" when reading this chapter. **

**

* * *

**

(KPOV)

**_Three months later..._**

It was February, possibly one of the best months out there. Not only did February mean the last month of winter, it meant romance. My life was better than it had been since I was kid, and for four reasons.

Ponyboy and Johnny weren't sent to jail for killing that Soc. When the judge realized that it had only been me, Pony, and Johnnycake against eight guys, he ruled it as self-defense.

Daniel, the Soc who beat me up with his buddies and left me for dead _was_ in jail. He was serving about 5 years for second degree assault. We tried to get him jailed for killing Dally, but the judge for that case was paid off by Mr. Soc's parents.

Ponyboy and I were finally together. The gang teased us a lot at first, but they stopped with most of the jokes after awhile. Johnny accepted us, just as long as Pony didn't talk about making out with me or anything. That was all I could really ask for.

I didn't live with my so-called 'parents' anymore. Last month, Johnny went back to our house without me knowing, and my dad beat him for not being home in two months. My dad didn't know that Johnnycake had called the state and they were coming over that day. When that social worker heard Johnny screaming, he busted the door down and saw Johnny's blood on the floor and walls. We were immediately taken out of the house and placed with a legal guardian. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were our parents now. They were both about 50 years old, and never had kids of their own. Both of 'em were cool about us hanging with the gang and didn't mind us staying out late as long as we came back around 11:30. It took some adjusting, but after awhile I grew to love them both. The best part of living in that mint-green house is that its right next door to Ponyboy's. I can go over there whenever I want, and nobody gives me hell for it. It was awkward at first around them, but Mrs. Carter is just melts everyone's insecurity away and Mr. Carter doesn't judge people. It just took time before me and Johnny could stop flinching everytime they'd reach out to touch us.

I walked down the street, feeling the soft wind blow through my hair. Today was the 14th. Valentine's day. Usually I wouldn't dress up at all, but it just felt appropriate tonight. I tugged at my blue mini dress, my legs feeling exposed to the wind that blew my bangs in my face. My hair was in a droopy bun that rested on my black hoodie. Well, it was Pony's, but I gave him my leather jacket, so...

"Hey, Kit-Kat!" a voice called across the street. I looked up to see Sodapop with his blonde hair slicked back, grease smudged on his face.

"What's up, brother?" I started jogging to the other side of the street, but he crossed over instead.

"Where'd you get _that_?" Soda questioned, pointing to my dress. His smile was gone. I went rigid.

"Umm...I bought it last week...or Mrs. Carter did. I didn't know if it was too..._revealing,_ but I can always just run home or somethin'."

"Go change? You look great_._ Pony's gonna be breathless." I let out a sigh.

"If you ever make me worry again, I will personally hurt you," I muttered. Soda laughed at me as we continued to his house. A stiff silence hung in the air as we walked. It was making me really edgy for some reason. We were on the porch when he started talking again.

"Kate...Darry wanted me to ask ya somethin' about...you and Pony." He glanced over at me, so I nodded for him to continue. "Um, well, this'll be...weird."

"What is it, Soda?" He bit his lip uncomfortably.

"Well...he wanted to know if...if......." Soda finished his sentence so lowly I couldn't hear. I stared at him uncomprehendingly. He repeated himself.

What?

Did he really just ask me _that?_ I felt a little flustered.

I hadn't even talked about it with Ponyboy.

It took awhile for me to find my voice again.

"Oh..._god..._no, Sodapop! We've never...gone _that_ far. He's never even seen me naked, for Christ's sake!" My face got hot. How could Darry think we'd have sex in his house at_ fourteen_? Even though Pony was fifteen now, but it's still the same idea...

"Darry doesn't think you are, but ya know how protective he gets. Just forget it." He half-smiled at me before going in to join Two-Bit. I took a deep breath before entering the house. I plopped down on the couch, staring at the white ceiling. Two-Bit waved at me, wrapped up in the Mickey Mouse episode on the TV.

"Where's Steve and Darry?" I asked him. No response. Oh well.

The wooden boards on the porch started creaking about fifteen minutes later, signaling someone's entrance. Johnny walked through the door, Ponyboy following close behind him. His eyes widened a little when he looked at me.

"Hey Kittie," Johnny said, throwing my feet off the couch. I sat up, only to be crushed in a hug by Pony.

"New dress?" he asked, grinning. I stuck my tongue out at my boyfriend, but pulled him on the squishy couch with me.

"Yeah. Soda said ya'd be breathless, but I'll settle for proud." Pony put his arm around me, so I rested my head on his shoulder. I felt his lips press softly to my hair.

"I never thought ya to be all mushy, but jeez," Johnny mumbled. I stared at my brother in disbelief. His black eyes held a twinge of disappointment.

"Johnnycake, what's wrong?" Ponyboy asked behind me. Johnny just shook his head, leaning back into the couch for support.

"This girl in my class...I was gonna ask 'er out today, but when I did, her boyfriend came up an' punched me in the gut. Told me to never look at her again." He looked over to me, his eyes boring into mine. "She said I'm a nice boy n'all, but she doesn't wanna seem like those other two-timin' broads."

"She don't know what she's missin," Soda soothed, magically appearing in Darry's armchair. He was clad in a pair of sweatpants, his golden hair dripping water on the carpet.

"Yeah, Johnny. There's a surplus o' broads in Tulsa. You'll get with one of 'em." Two-Bit chimed in, walking to the kitchen for another beer. "And speaking of gettin' with," he added, peeking slyly over at me and Pony, "Have you two _got together_?"

"Oh yes, Two-Bit. 'Cause we'd really do that in my house and get our heads bashed in by Darry," Pony replied, rolling his eyes. "And if y'all don't mind, I'm gonna take my girlfriend out now." He pulled me up by the waist suddenly, and we were out the door. The night was cool and silent, for the most part as we walked down a hill to the backside of the lot. The grass was longer than it had been three months ago. We stopped at the base of a tree, where a checkered blanket laid.

"You really thought this through, huh?" I was nervously playing with the zipper on my sweater. Ponyboy, still holding me, reached across to tilt my chin up. His greenish-gray eyes were warm.

"Yeah. I wanted some time for us...alone." His lips caressed mine tenderly, our mouths moving together. We parted for a second, only to meet again as we laid down on the blanket. My arms were locked around Pony's neck, preventing him from escaping. I yanked his jacket off, throwing it somewhere nearby. He pushed me softly on my back, straddling my hips while he took off my sweater. I trembled as my shoulders and chest met the chilled night air. Frantic heartbeats resonated in my ears, hushing the sound of cars on the street. All I could feel was Ponyboy as I savored his taste. His warm breath, smelling of tobacco and peppermint, sent shivers throughout my body. My stomach turned into a twisted, fiery knot, craving more of the heat between us.

"Wait...a sec," I breathed, catching my breath. Pony stopped, rolling over on his back beside me. He stared at me curiously as I fumbled with the satin-y back of my dress. I managed to get the tiny zipper down when I was interrupted by lips crashing into mine. My eyes, wide with shock, stared up at Ponyboy as he pushed me back down.

"I wanted to do that, if you don't mind," he whispered. Continuing to take my dress off as our lips joined again, he let me pull his shirt off. Our tongues wrestled, our noses grazed, and our skin brushed. Pony paused for a second to pull back and look at me. I looked down to see what he was fixating on. The moonlight made my skin a ghostly pale, which only threw the patterns of scars on my torso into deeper focus. He reached out and stroked one on my chest, his fingers leaving a trail of warmth behind. Ponyboy slowly leaned forward, meekly kissing my scar.

"That...that _bastard_ did this to you?" Pony's voice was husky, full of unwanted regret for my father's actions.

"Yeah. But it doesn't matter, 'cause no one's gonna hurt me that way anymore." I grabbed his face in my hands, gently forcing him to look at me.

"Kate, I'll never let anyone cause you that kind of pain again. Never."

"I know you won't. Pony, I trust you more than anyone. Well, 'cept for Johnnycake." He smiled.

"Let's go back. Darry's probably already home." He pulled his white shirt on and handed me my dress. I quickly jerked it on, silently thanking Pony when he zipped the back up for me.

We enjoyed the time walking through the cold, inviting night. The moon hung low in the sky, enticing us to stay out in its glowy light. But we ignored it, getting back to what was important.

Family. Related or not. Because as much as they get under your skin or nag you, they'll always be the ones to defend you against anything.

I snuggled in closer to Pony as we walked through the door. Two-Bit had left, but Soda and Johnny were still there. Darry was waiting for a brilliant excuse we weren't going to come up with. When he asked where we were, I honestly replied. Ponyboy hugged me, then passed me to Johnny so we could leave before Darry chewed his head off.

Johnny slowly escorted me home, seeming not to mind that his best friend and me were making out earlier. He chuckled at the way Darry's face looked. Usually we'd make up some crappy lie, so I guess he hadn't been expecting the truth head on. I hugged my brother before heading to my room.

And as I sat down on my bed, I realized that the gang might be really close, but not as close as me, Johnnycake, and Ponyboy. The rest of 'em hadn't been through that whole incident the way we were. Only we could understand each other that way. And even if distance separated us, we were always gonna be together.

The three of us.


	13. Short Author's Note

**A/N: I just wanted all the people reading this to know that I'm doing an epilogue for _Three_, and then the story is finished. It took about 3 ****months to do this, but it was worth it. :)**

**Keep your eyes out for a one-shot I'm writing! Its called _Creep_. SUMMARY: Johnny Cade admires the object of his affections from afar on a nice day.**

**Also, I'm going to make a sequel to _Three, _but I have no idea what its gonna be called yet. I have a rough plotline worked out in my head, but if you have any ideas, feel free to PM me. I don't bite.**

**Keep reading, keep reviewing, keep writing! :)**

**~ stars-fly-so-high**


	14. Epilogue: Birthday

****

**A/N: The finale...for now. :)**

**Thank you to everybody that decided to read and review my story. This is for you guys. **

* * *

(Unknown POV)

**_One year and two months later..._**

The smell of chocolate cake hung thickly in the mint-green house, wafting out the windows to the houses nearby. Sodapop Curtis sat on the floor of his living room with Keith Matthews and Johnny Cade, wrapping a stuffed cardboard box in old newspaper. It wouldn't be long before Ponyboy brought his girlfriend to their house so they could ambush her with a surprise birthday party. Lucky her, I guess. Soda stood up suddenly, fixing the curtains in the window so anyone walking by could see inside their living room. It looked so much more welcoming than the outside, practically begging someone to intrude. Maybe _I_ could be that person. No, it _would_ be me, but at the same time it wouldn't. It'd be the more obsessive, unstable me, the one who only comes out in depression and desperation.

Like now.

I threw the binoculars to the other side of my barren room, listening as the loud _thump _echoed. I didn't care if the lenses cracked. Sweat dripped down my neck and back, making it slightly cooler in the suffocating heat. I didn't care if I passed out. Unconsciousness would be much better, much healthier for me than this smothering delusion. A pair of green eyes with smeared eyeliner underneath them stared back at me crazily in my cracked mirror. I heard the floor creaking as my partner walked around, looking for me.

"Hey," he called. "You alright?" I silently prayed he wouldn't find me. I didn't want his body or his sweat on me again today. My head snapped around as the door hinges squeaked open, revealing his shadowy form.

"Don't come near me," I warned, not knowing what I'd do now. He bent over, picking up my binoculars, and smirked at me.

"You won't do anything to me. We both know that, Helen," he said arrogantly. "You need me for your little scheme, and I need you" - his eyes slowly appraised my body - "for other reasons." He continued to walk until he stopped right in front of me, holding out my binoculars. I took them grudgingly.

"This plan is as much for me as it is for you. Or didya forget that, Adam?" His eyes narrowed at me. "What exactly do you want from this?"

"I have my reason," Adam snapped, clearly unhappy that I made him vulnerable. "Go back to your obsessing." He started to walk away, but stopped in the doorway.

"What is it?" I asked.

"When exactly are we gonna put this plan into motion?"

"When the time's right. We gotta let them get closer, and then, we rip them apart." He nodded, then disappeared through the door. I faced the window once more, using my binoculars to focus on the Curtis house again. Ponyboy had just arrived, his arm slung around his girlfriend's shoulders. Darrel Curtis brought the cake out to the porch, being careful not to drop it. They seemed like the perfect family, even if they didn't look like the American dream.

"Happy sixteenth birthday, Kate!" The voices floated up to my room, finally revealing her identity.

_Kate, is it?_

Ponyboy kissed her on the cheek, eliciting a chorus of "Oooh" from the guys.

_Well, Kate, enjoy your life..._

Johnny picked Kate up, running into the house with her, followed by the rest of their 'family.'

_...while you still have it..._


End file.
